'It's not antifashionista'

The assumption may be that Syahmedi Dean, with his years of experience rubbing shoulders with the snooty fashionista, is out to settle some old scores in L.S.D.L.F.

But over a latte at a major coffee shop in South Jakarta -- the very same store that makes an appearance in the brand name- filled pages of the novel -- Dean said the novel was meant to entertain, not take potshots.

Your novel is coming hot on the heels of all the fashionista and magazine behind-the-scenes tell-alls, plus Sex and the City; was that planned?

SD: I've launched the book at the right time, but I planned it a long time ago. Still, all the books and movies gave me the energy to finish it.

It's inevitable to assume this is autobiographical, but how much of you is the main character?

It's purely fiction, but of course many parts of my life colored the story. I took some experiences, developed them and made them more dramatic.

What is your aim with the book?

I wanted it to be entertaining, a bit comedic, which you rarely find with local books. It's very easy to understand, it's not using any big words ... I wrote it for young people from big cities, and any Indonesians who are preparing to be citizens of the world.

The fashionista have been taking a beating in many of the new novels; do you consider your work antifashionista?

I did my job with affection, but people in fashion are cynical, and you can feel that (in the novel), but it's not too strong ... I am laughing together with them, not at them.

-- Bruce Emond